Transgender Equality

Washington, DC – Today, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) joined the call for Michigan lawmakers to include protections for transgender people in legislation to expand the state’s non-discrimination law. Michigan’s current non-discrimination law, known as the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, was passed in 1976 and banned discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on race, sex, religion, age, height, weight, marital or family status, and national origin. An updated non-discrimination bill was introduced this week in the Michigan House of Representatives to protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but failed to include protections on the basis of gender identity or gender expression.

Washington, D.C. – January 13, 2014 – The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), the nation’s leading Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, applauds the early release of CeCe McDonald. CeCe is a Black transgender woman who accepted a plea bargain of second degree manslaughter in response to being violently attacked by a group of people in a racist and transphobic hate violence incident in June 2011 in Minneapolis, MN.

AfroPunk recently sat down with Spelman alumnus and NBJC Programs and Outreach Associate Je-ShawnaWholley to discuss the founding of the organization, influencing policy, experiences of queer Black people on Historically Black College and University as well as predominantly white college campuses, and what “queer” looks like in a modern context.

NBJC joined 72 national organizations to issue a statement opposing the House Republican substitute for the bi-partisan Senate bill (S.47), Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), that includes provisions to protect vulnerable communities, including Native American women, college students, and LGBT individuals.

Washington, D.C. – The 73 undersigned national organizations issued the following statement opposing the House Republican substitute for the bi-partisan Senate bill (S.47), Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), that includes provisions to protect vulnerable communities, including Native American women, college students, and LGBT individuals:

In honor of Black History Month, NBJC Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks appeared on Sheila Alexander-Reid Live, hosted by D.C. activist Sheila Alexander-Reid. Lettman-Hicks discussed the state of the Black LGBT movement, Obama's inaugural address, Bayard Rustin's legacy and more. Sheila Alexander-ReidLive is D.C.'s only LGBT FM radio show. The program offers an LGBT perspective on an array of topics.

With Monica Beverly Hillz coming out as trans on RuPaul's Drag Race on February 4, it was seen as a good-news-bad-news moment by much of the trans community. While we celebrate our trans sister taking such a huge step in her life, the irony of the moment wasn't lost on many of us in the trans community.

By Monica Roberts

With Monica Beverly Hillz coming out as trans on RuPaul's Drag Race on February 4, it was seen as a good-news-bad-news moment by much of the trans community.

While we celebrate our trans sister taking such a huge step in her life, the irony of the moment wasn't lost on many of us in the trans community.

The National Black Justice Coalition, in conjunction with the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, is pleased to host the 2013 Black LGBT Emerging Leaders Day in Washington, DC. Select events will take place on February 21-22, 2013. Participants will hear about President Obama’s commitment to equal rights for all Americans and the important steps his Administration has taken to ensure health, well-being, security, justice, and equality for black and LGBT Americans.

The National Black Justice Coalition wants people to be mindful that it is a black president that has been the most LGBT-supportive president ever and that it is time to undo the “black versus gay narrative” that has played out for years. “Gay people, you need to understand black people and listen to them and reach out to them,” Lettman-Hicks said, adding that black LGBT people have a 36 percent unemployment rate compared to the national 8 percent. Meaningful justice recognizes cultural differences, she added.

When President Barack Obama announced Tuesday in Las Vegas that now is the time for “common-sense comprehensive immigration reform,” he echoed a crucial portion of the national LGBT Creating Change conference in Atlanta.

Earlier this month — December 17th, 2012 — was the 10th annual International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers, a day for mourning and solidarity for Ridgway's victims and all sex workers who have been murdered or harmed. It's also a day for acknowledging and addressing the structural violence that we live with, as sex workers and in all of our communities.

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual date to recognize the struggles and perseverance of members of the transgender community. Leading up to the internationally recognized event, the National Black Justice Coalition launched its #BlackTransProud social media campaign to raise awareness about what it means to, as organizers put it, “live at the intersection of racial justice and trans equality.”

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual date to recognize the struggles and perseverance of members of the transgender community. Leading up to the internationally recognized event, the National Black Justice Coalition launched its #BlackTransProud social media campaign to raise awareness about what it means to, as organizers put it, “live at the intersection of racial justice and trans equality.”